Calculator

Math students: how to use your Mac as a graphing calculator

Anthony Bouchard ∙ Updated August 14, 2018

Although your Mac comes with a Calculator app, you will find that it only supports basic, scientific, and programmer modes.

Unfortunately for those who are in advanced math courses in school, be it grade school or college, or for those that just need a hand in tutoring their children, the Calculator app doesn't come with graphing functionality and it leaves you to fend for yourself.

A little known feature of your Mac, directly out of the box, is that it does have graphing functionality built into its default software, and in this tutorial, we'll show you how to unleash it.

How to use your Mac’s Calculator app as a unit converter

Anthony Bouchard ∙ Updated November 24, 2023

In this tutorial, we'll show you how to use the Calculator app on your Mac to quickly convert a unit of measurement to another.

Mimic iOS 9.3’s new Calculator app Quick Action with this tweak

Anthony Bouchard ∙ January 18, 2016

iOS 9.3 beta includes a new Quick Action feature for the Calculator app, allowing those with a 3D Touch display to press firmly on the Calculator app icon to reveal a new option: Copy Last Result.

Fortunately, those with a jailbroken device on iOS 9.0-9.0.2 don't have to upgrade to iOS 9.3 beta to get this feature. A new free jailbreak tweak called CalculatorCopy is now available in Cydia's BigBoss repository that will bring this feature to older iOS 9 installations.

Google releases Ivy, an experimental big number calculator for iPhone and iPad

Christian Zibreg ∙ July 10, 2015

Google on Friday released a brand new iOS application in the App Store. Called Ivy and available free of charge, the app is being described as an experimental big number calculator for the iPhone and iPad.

Dedicated calculator apps are a dime a dozen these days so what's so special about Ivy, you might ask?

According to Google, Ivy takes advantage of what's referred to as exact rational arithmetic, basically a precision math technique which lets the app handle arbitrary precision with ease.

PCalc for Apple Watch released with Glance, Send to iPhone, tip calc, RPN support and more

Christian Zibreg ∙ May 19, 2015

Thanks to independent iOS and Mac developer James Thomson, you can now wear PCalc on your $400+ Apple Watch. The award-winning $9.99 calculator app for the iPhone and iPad was updated today with WatchKit support.

The app is very nicely done and feels native. It puts the full calculator with RPN Support on your wrist, along with a Glance to see the result of your most recent calculations from your watch face, a tip calculator and other goodies.

Calcbot 2 launches as a freemium app with all-new look and new features

Christian Zibreg ∙ February 20, 2015

Tweetbot developer Tapbots has released Calcbot 2 in the App Store. The intelligent calculator app is now completely free for everyone, has no ads whatsoever and, among other perks, has been revamped from the ground up for iOS 8.

The refresh software brings out a brand new favorites system which replaces the somewhat confusing memory keys, includes an iCloud-sync'd history in portrait mode alongside the calculator and other perks.

Calcbot by Tweetbot creators leaps onto the Mac

Christian Zibreg ∙ November 6, 2014

Developer Tapbots has made a name for itself with an excellent Twitter client for the Mac and iOS, Tweetbot. They have other apps in their portfolio, too, and on Thursday released a nicely done Mac edition of Calcbot, an intelligent calculator and unit converter that made its iOS debut in July of 2010.

Despite a somewhat steep asking price, keep in mind that Calcbot combines a compelling calculator and a powerful unit converter into a single, beautifully designed experience.

Calcbot is a $4.99 download from the Mac App Store.

Apple doesn’t want calculator widgets on iOS 8

Christian Zibreg ∙ October 29, 2014

Apple today asked PCalc developer to remove its Notification Center widget after it was previously approved in the App Store. The reason? Notification Center's Today widgets are apparently prohibited from performing any calculations, according to the company's email to developer James Thomson.

Thomson took to Twitter where he shared the news with the world. “Apple has told me that Notification Center widgets on iOS cannot perform any calculations, and the current PCalc widget must be removed,” reads the tweet.

It's somewhat surprising Apple would take an issue with PCalc's Today widget after approving the app more than a month ago. Besides, PCalc's iOS 8 update, along with the widget, has been widely covered in media and Apple itself has featured it in two sections on the App Store, “Extend Your Apps” and “Great Apps and Games for iOS 8”.

So what's going on here?

5 calculator apps Apple featured in App Store’s Productivity Monday section

Christian Zibreg ∙ Updated December 22, 2022

To me, calculator apps are a lot like weather apps - I can never get enough of them. In an effort to help you increase your mobile productivity, Apple is now featuring several great third-party calculators in an App Store section titled Productivity Monday.

Featured iPhone and iPad software includes both paid and free calculators, including the gorgeously designed minimalist Digits app with the ability to edit complex calculations and get instantly updated results...

Meet Tydlig, gorgeous new free-form iOS calculator

Christian Zibreg ∙ December 16, 2013

Apple's stock Calculator app hasn't changed much since the iPhone's inception, except for a light new interface introduced as part of the overall iOS 7 makeover.

It gets the job done, for the most part, and is good enough for average users who just need to perform simple on the go calculations every now and then. On the downside, Apple's inexplicably refused to make its Calculator app available on the iPad.

Worse, the company's refrained from implementing new features to make complex math or stringing calculations together easier. Enter Tydlig by Andreas Karlsson, a beautiful free-form calculator app for the iPhone and iPad which debuted earlier this month.

Not only is Tydlig a fine piece of software that reminds us what the stock app should have been, it actually tries to re-imagine what a mobile calculator app designed for touch interfaces should be like.

Yes, the world actually needs a calculator app done right...

Sumhold minimizes your iPhone calculations and looks great too

Lory Gil ∙ Updated April 13, 2018

I’ve always wondered why anyone makes a calculator app for the iPhone when the native one works just fine and includes so many features. Sure an advanced scientific calculator would be a real benefit, but for the most part, a calculator is a calculator. Right?

Sumhold is a simple calculator app that actually benefits the user because of its minimalistic nature. You can’t do much with it, but what you can do is fast, convenient, and very good looking…

Perform calculations on the fly with Calculator for Velox

Cody Lee ∙ May 14, 2013

It seems like developers are really enjoying making add-ons for Velox. The jailbreak tweak was released a little over a week ago, and already we've seen several extensions for it like Addial, Compass and App Store.

Today we've got another one for you, called Calculator for Velox. And as you've probably already guessed by now, it provides you with Home screen access to your Calculator app...